Matchbox Day Nursery

Matchbox Day Nursery
Unique reference number (URN): EY265143
Address: 1-2 Butler House, Burdett Road, LONDON, E14 7AB
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registered with Ofsted: 19/09/2003
Registers: EYR
Registered person: Matchbox Day Nursery Limited
Inspection report: 15 June 2026
Exceptional
Strong standard
Expected standard
Needs attention
Urgent improvement
Safeguarding standards met
The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for
governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open
culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively
identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, children are made safer and feel safe.
How we evaluate safeguarding
When we inspect settings for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:
Met: The setting has an open and positive culture of safeguarding.
Not met: The setting has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all
legal requirements are met.

Expected standard
Behaviour, attitudes and establishing routines Expected standard
Leaders and practitioners have established a positive environment. They have high
expectations for behaviour which are typically understood. Children behave well.
Practitioners have realistic, age-appropriate expectations of children's behaviour which they
model sensitively. Unwanted behaviours are addressed in a warm, responsive way and
clear alternatives to behaviour are given. Children are generally calm and considerate to
their peers.
Effective key-person arrangements ensure children's care needs are met. Leaders establish
a co key-person system which enables all children to have secure attachments and
practitioners know the children well. This supports children to develop their confidence,
resilience and independence. Leaders and practitioners have a clear system to support
children's attendance and punctuality. Practitioners consistently follow-up with absences and
work alongside families to establish important habits for later success.
Generally, children have a positive attitude to learning. Some children are supported to use
their imagination and create different structures. They delight in creating a 'farm school' in
which all the animals learn. Practitioners skilfully support children to play collaboratively and
share the resources available. Children know what is expected of them. Consistent routines
support this understanding. Children are given advance warning to help them anticipate
what is coming next. For example, a bell is sounded 5 minutes prior to children transitioning
from outside to inside. Older children respond well to this signal and support younger
children to go inside.
Children's welfare and wellbeing Expected standard
Practitioners create a nurturing environment in which they are attentive to meeting individual
children's needs. Practitioners work hard to develop secure relationships with parents and
carers so they keep up to date with a child's development. For example, during the weaning
phase, practitioners have daily communication in person and via the nursery app to relay
what the child had eaten at nursery. They ensure no new foods are introduced at the nursery
until tried at home first. This supports the children to stay safe. Typically, practitioners work
closely with parents to ensure children's medical needs are met. Clear systems are in place
to ensure practitioners know how to support their care needs. 'An all about me' form
supports with the building of relationships.
Particular regard is placed on supporting children's sleep routines. Safer sleep practices are
consistently adhered to. Practitioners work closely with parents to ensure the children's
individual needs are understood and provide opportunities for them to rest as and when is
needed. This supports children to feel refreshed and emotionally ready for learning. Hygiene
and care routines take into account the personal needs of the children. Children delight in
brushing their teeth after eating. They discuss removing the germs in their mouth to have
healthy teeth. Practitioners provide children with healthy meals and snacks and sit with them
to support their developing independence.

Needs attention
Leadership and governance Expected standard
Leaders are aware of the nursery's strengths and areas of development and use this
information to drive improvement. They invest heavily in staff development, however, on
occasion the impact of this is not consistently evident, especially for children with barriers to
their learning. Leaders have a clear understanding of the curriculum and have put in place
measures to resolve inconsistencies in teaching. They use peer observations and filming to
support interactions. Practitioners speak positively about these professional development
opportunities and understand the benefits of continual constructive feedback. Practitioners
feel valued and supported to do their job well.
Leaders have a secure understanding of the contextual needs of the nursery. They have
strengthened their communication with parents and/or carers by using an app to share
information. This has led to parents and/or carers having a fuller picture of what their
children are doing at nursery. Specific observations of what their child is doing and how they
are being supported to progress is having a positive impact.
Leaders take action to ensure practitioners workload and wellbeing are supported. Regular
supervisions give practitioners the opportunity to discuss any concerns about children
and/or areas for development. Specific time is ringfenced to ensure workload is manageable
and given fairly. This ensures practitioner time is used effectively generally securing the best
outcomes for children. Leaders engage with external professionals thoughtfully and
professionally. They consider recommendations carefully and generally implement them.
Achievement Needs attention
Children's achievement is variable because the curriculum is not securely embedded. As a
result, some younger children are not always prepared for the next stage in their learning.
Younger children are not securely supported with their language and communication
development, and so do not always achieve as well as they could. Children with barriers to
learning are not always given the opportunity to express their needs and wants. This means
they do not always make as much progress as they could.
Generally, children achieve from their starting points in some areas of learning such as their
personal, social and emotional development, physical development and mathematical
development.
Children develop a love for maths. They enthusiastically count how many blocks they have
stacked on top of each other. They squeal with excitement when the tower becomes
unstable and falls. Practitioners share their enthusiasm and discuss what could be done
differently to ensure they have a stable structure. Practitioners carefully model the language
of counting and reinforce mathematical vocabulary to describe size. They address
misconceptions in a sensitive and supportive way.

Curriculum and teaching Needs attention
Although leaders understand what a quality curriculum looks like, this is not embedded
throughout the nursery. Staff are not always clear about what they want children to learn.
They do not always prioritise what is important for children at that stage of development.
During a group activity, for example, a sharp-enough focus was not placed on the
development of communication and language. The size of the group had a negative impact
on what was being taught, and so children did not make sufficient progress. The use of
dummies also acts as a barrier to support effective communication and language. Although
staff know the impact of dummy use, this is not removed swiftly enough to support the
development of communication and language.
Typically, mathematics is taught progressively throughout the nursery. It is sequenced to
ensure concepts are introduced carefully. Children relish in playing a game of football. They
proceed to a count down before they shoot and hit the back of the net. Staff skilfully tally up
how many goals are scored and use language of comparison to demonstrate the difference.
Children's personal, social and emotional development is supported well. Children enjoy
voting for which book they want to focus on for the week. They work with their parent and/or
carers to complete a voting slip and eagerly post it in the postbox. This supports children to
feel like their voice is heard and develop a positive sense of self.
Inclusion Needs attention
Leaders work hard to support staff to identify children's individual needs. Although these
needs are correctly identified, not all children, especially those with special educational
needs and/or disabilities (SEND), have appropriate measures put in place to reduce these
barriers. Targeted support to ensure some children with SEND are developing positive
relationships with other children is not consistent.
Leaders monitor children's progress and assess the impact of the provision on learning.
They understand their responsibility for supporting disadvantaged children. Leaders use the
additional funding they receive to provide training for staff. For example, the early years
pupil premium is used to provide training on an adult-led intervention to develop shared
attention, concentration and communication skills with children. This training is still in its
infancy and so the impact of this cannot be measured as yet.
Leaders engage with families and outside professionals to support children's development.
They pride themselves on their open-door policy and make themselves readily available for
all parents and carers. Parents say how happy they are with the responsiveness of the
nursery team.

What it's like to be a child at this setting
Children are excited to come to nursery and are greeted by warm and responsive
practitioners. Children who struggle to separate from their parents or carers are greeted with
kindness and consideration. Their emotional needs are supported as they are sung to or
distracted with their favourite toys. Key people know their children well which supports
children to feel like they belong. Children greet their friends and dive straight into an activity
of their choice. They relish the independence of playing both inside and out and having
access to a mixed-age group. Children act with empathy towards their peers and are
considerate of the younger children. Older children act as role models and support younger
children to engage in activities.
In the large outside area, children develop their physical skills and build on what they know.
Children with barriers to their learning are not always supported to make sound progress.
Leaders and staff know children well but do not put into action the strategies needed for
them to achieve. Children who are struggling to communicate are not always given a variety
of options in which to express their needs and wants.
Not all children make significant progress from their starting points. Staff identify when
children are learning and developing at different rates but they do not make adaptations
needed to ensure all children achieve well from their starting points. There is not a sharp
focus on developing communication and language. Some children are encouraged to
express their emotions. Staff skilfully help children to identify what they are feeling and how
to express this. They share in their joy and empathise in their sadness. This helps to foster
positive relationships and support children to feel safe.
Next steps
To meet the requirements of the Early years foundation stage the provider must take the
following actions by the assigned date:
Action Completion Date
take action to ensure that staff provide targeted support
for children with special educational needs and/or
disabilities, to ensure that gaps in their learning close
swiftly
14/07/2026

Inspector:
Samantha Thorn
About this setting
Unique reference number (URN): EY265143
Address:
1-2 Butler House
Burdett Road
LONDON
E14 7AB
Type: Childcare on non-domestic premises
Registration date: 19/09/2003
Registered person: Matchbox Day Nursery Limited
Register(s): EYR
Operating hours: Monday,Tuesday,Wednesday,Thursday,Friday : 08:00 - 18:00
Local authority: Tower Hamlets
Action Completion Date
ensure educational programmes support staff to plan
appropriately for the developmental needs of the
children with a sharp focus on the prime areas in
particular communication and language for the
youngest children
14/07/2026
About this inspection
The inspector spoke with leaders, practitioners, special educational needs coordinator,
designated safeguarding lead and parents/carers during the inspection.
We carried out this inspection under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006 on the
quality and standards of provision that is registered on the Early Years Register. The
registered person must ensure that this provision complies with the statutory framework for
children's learning, development and care, known as the early years foundation stage.

Facts and figures used on inspection
This data was available to the inspector at the time of the inspection.
This data is from 15 June 2026
Children numbers
Age range of children at the time of inspection
1 to 4
Total number of places
98
Our grades explained
Exceptional
Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other settings can learn from it.
Strong standard
The setting reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of
them.
Expected standard
The setting is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are
following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional
standards expected of them.
Needs attention
The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary
improvements.
Urgent improvement
The setting needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of
education and/or care.

The Office for Standards in Education, Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) inspects
services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects
and regulates services that care for children and young people.
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